
^ FACT TESTS 

for 
Graduation & Promotion 




Prepared byWilliamHAllen 

Director, Institute for Public SenHce 



I918 

WORLD BOOK COMPANY 

Yonkers-on-Hudson, NewY)rk 



In Easter week of 1918 when two civil- 
izations were facing one another over Euro- 
pean trenches, a rural teacher wrote for 
information that would help her school 
debate the question whether Washington 
was a greater man than Lincoln I Such 
obliviousness to the school's opportunity 
and obligation is not limited to one small 
school. 

Children and other non-combatants are 
sharing not only war's excitement and 
emotion, devotion and hero-worship, but 
also its sacrifices, its fears and its horrors. 

Where information or lack of information 
has such far reaching effects it is unfair and 
dangerous to leave to accident what children 
and college students learn about war issues, 
war steps, war needs, war dangers and 
peace aims. 

No nation, not even our own, can afford 
to run the risk of having millions of homes 
misinformed and confused with regard to 
this war's main issues. 

This summary of war facts is issued in 
the hope that it will be helpful not only in 
civics classes but in the hands of teachers 
and principals in conducting any class in 
any subject or in making patriotic use 
of assembly exercises. 



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WAR FACT TESTS 



for 



Graduation & Promotion 





Page 


I. 


W/iy we are at war 3 


II. 


Our peace aims 14 


III. 


Home town war facts 15 


IV. 


Home state war facts 29 


V. 


Home country war facts 38 


VI. 


World war facts 51 


VII. 


After- the- war needs 69 


VIII. 


Commencement suggestions 75 



Prepared by 

William H. Allen 

Director, Institute for Public Service 




1918 
WORLD BOOK COMPANY 

Yonkers-on-Hudson, New York 

Copyright, 1918, by World Book Company 



To Users 

of 

War Fact Tests 

^ War facts in heavy black face 
type are suggested as the mini- 
mum which we all ought to know. 

The other war facts are to sug- 
gest ways of explaining the main 
war facts. 

fl Once having decided that these 
war facts are essential it will be 
easy to re-word them so as to 
fit each particular audience. 

^ Local and state war facts will 
need to be looked up in several 
instances, but this looking up will 
help both your home schools and 
your home community. 

©CU499019 

MM ;6/9/8 



^H 



Part I 

TEN REASONS WHY WE ARE AT WAR 

Because we could not longer either honorably or 
safely permit war to be waged against us without 
going to war ourselves. 

^^^ YnL *^^^,ty-two months of this world war, August 
1914 to April 1917, the United States-its people and 
Its government— did their best to keep out of war 
Our decision to go to war with all our might was 
not reached in angry haste, but after incessant dis- 
cussion over nearly three years. 

(2) During all this time our government and the major- 
ity of our people resisted the appeals of many influ- 
ential citizens and groups who insisted that for rea- 
sons here later stated, it was neither honorable nor 
safe for us to stay out of this war and that our most 
sacred ideals and obligations called upon us to enter 
the war with all our might against the aims and 
methods of Germany, Austria, Turkey and Bulgaria. 

(^j In this belief thousands of speeches were made 
thousands of meetings were held, thousands of edi- 
torials were written. 

(4) Beheving just as sincerely and earnestly that our 
most sacred ideals and obligations called upon us to 
keep out of war, other citizens and groups made thou- 
sands of speeches, held thousands of meetings and 
wrote thousands of editorials against our going to 
war and for maintaining strict neutrality. 

(5) The reelection of President Wilson in November 
1916, was generally accepted as evidence that the ma- 
jonty of our people opposed our going to war. 

(6) "He kept us out of war" and ''We are to be kept out 
of war" were two prayers of thanksgiving which 
were uttered by millions of mothers and fathers on 
reading that the president had been reelected. Later 
reasons show why going to war came to seem the 
only right thing for us to do. 

[3] 



Reason No. 2 Why We Are At War 

Because between November 1916 and April 1917, 
in spite of continuous efforts during those five months 
by our government to keep us out of war, several 
incidents brought war to us and put us at war. 

(1) On April 6th, 1917, Congress did not declare that we 
should go to war, but did declare that war was being 
waged against us in spite of our best efforts to 
avoid it. 

(2) The wording of the Congressional resolution was : 
Resolved . . . that the state of war between the 
United States and the Imperial German Government 
which has thus been thrust upon the United States 
is hereby formally declared. 

(3) The President and Congress did not say that with 
peace on one road and war on the other road we 
chose war. 

(4) They said there was peace on neither road and that 
there was war on both roads. 

(5) In effect what they said was this : There is war on 
both roads. Whatever we do war is being waged 
against us. Our choice is not between war and 
peace, but between war where we do not defend our 
rights and humanity's, do not fight back, do not use 
all our power to stop it, and war where we defend 
ourselves and humanity by using all our power to 
stop this war and prevent a future world war. 



[4] 



Reason No. 3 Why We Are At War 



Because Germany notified us that whenever pos- 
sible her submarines would destroy, on sight without 
warning, any boat found "out of bounds" even if 
owned by or used by our citizens or other neutrals. 

(1) ''Out of bounds" meant anywhere in the waters 
around the British Isles, Belgium, France and Italy. 

(2) No northern waters were left "within bounds" for 
us except a narrow ocean pathway for one boat a 
week from this country going to the single port which 
Germany permitted, namely, Falmouth, England. 

(3) This one boat must be painted in a particular way 
to distinguish it from all other boats which were re- 
fused safety along even this one pathway. 

(4) This proposal obviously meant that Germany would 
take away from us the right of travel on the ocean 
which by nature and international law belongs to all. 

(5) This proposal was not to stop ships or take goods off 
ships or to take Germany's enemies off ships, all of 
which international law permits, but to send ships to 
the bottom of the sea, no matter who or what was 
on them,. The date was Jan. 31, 1917. 

(6) Germany flatly withdrew her earlier promises to 
restrict submarine warfare to enemy boats and to 
give warning so that human beings on merchant ves- 
sels might be saved in life boats. 

(7) Germany declared that the submarine warfare which 
she considered indispensable to her success in the 
war would not be possible if she should attempt to 
distinguish between one kind of boat and another or 
between neutral and enemy owners of boats. 

[5] 



Reason No. 3 Why We Are At War (cont.) 



(8) Germany admitted that submarine warfare could not 
be conducted without violating the provisions of in- 
ternational law which recognized that neither an 
enemy nor a neutral merchantman, not resisting visit 
or capture, can be attacked or destroyed until both 
crew and passengers have been placed in a condition 
of safety. 

(9) International law is international agreement, the 
slow growth of recognition that Humanity must be 
observed in the relations of nations and all effort 
made to limit war's horrors to combatants. 

(10) 226 American citizens had already lost their lives 
through the sinking by German submarines of 17 
American ships and 23 other ships on which Amer- 
ican citizens were traveling, therefore we knew that 
unrestricted warfare meant that either our citizens* 
lives and property would be destroyed or else we 
must stop trying to use the ocean that belongs to all 
nations for any kind of communication with the 
British Isles, Belgium, France, Italy, etc. 

(11) Even relief and hospital ships were sunk by sub- 
marines. 

(12) Germany's argument that international law does not 
prohibit submarine ruthlessness because submarines 
are new to this war did not reduce our opposition to 
a kind of warfare that we felt was clearly contrary 
to the basic principles of international law and 
humanity. 



[6] 



Reason No. 4 Why We Are At War 

Because Germany's foreign minister had offered 
New Mexico, Texas and Arizona to Mexico if Mexico 
would attack the United States. 

(1) A similar proposal was to be made to Japan that she 
join in attacking the United States. 

(2) The official proposal by Germany was printed in our 
newspapers February 28, 1917. 

(3) The official proposal dated Jan, 19, 1917, read: 

On February 1 we intend to begin submarine warfare unrestricted. 
In spite of this, it is our intention to endeavor to keep neutral the 
United States of America. If this attempt is not successful we pro- 
pose an alliance on the following basis with Mexico; That we shall 
make war together and together make peace. We shall give general 
financial support, and it is understood that Mexico is to reconquer the 
lost territory in New Mexico, Texas and Arizona. The details are left 
to you for settlement. You are instructed to inform the President of 
Mexico of the above in the greatest confidence as soon as it is certain 
that there will be an outbreak of war with the United States and sug- 
gest that the President of Mexico, on his own initiative, should com- 
municate with Japan, suggesting adherence at once with this plan. . . 

(4) How it was discovered by our government we have 
not yet been told. 

(5) That the letter was authentic and official was stated 
by our secretary of state and admitted by the German 
foreign minister, Count von Zimmermann. 

(6) This attack was for the purpose of withdrawing our 
interest and resources as much as possible from the 
European battlefield. 



[7] 



Reason No. 5 Why We Are At War 

Because while we were trying to be at peace with 
Germany and she was asserting her friendliness for 
us, she literally honeycombed with spies our fac- 
tories, our civic agencies, our newspapers and even 
our government departments; and officially planned 
or connived at crimes and unfriendly acts on our soil. 

(1) In 1915 there were 9 explosions of first magnitude 
and 20 that were less serious. 

(2) Throughout 1916 similar violations of law by Ger- 
man agents continued in spite of police and secret 
service vigilance. 

(3) Factories were blown up and goods intended for the 
Allies were made useless or dangerous. The Ger- 
man consul-general at San Francisco was convicted 
of plotting to cause a bridge and tunnels to be de- 
stroyed in Canada. 

(4) German agents in this country conspired to place on 
five vessels due to sail from our ports with non-com- 
batant passengers, deadly bombs with time clocks 
for exploding them when boats got out in midocean. 

(5) With lavish use of money large numbers of news- 
papers were induced to print not only untrue state- 
ments but editorial arguments calculated to misin- 
form and mislead. 

(6) Mexico and other Latin American countries that have 
every reason to be friendly with us were also honey- 
combed with spies and enemy agents conspiring 
against us and against freedom in those lands. 

[8] 



Reason No. S Why We Are At War (cont.) 

(7) 21 different types of crime or unfriendly acts, com- 
mitted upon our soil by connivance of the German 
government, were listed by the House of Representa- 
tives Committee on Foreign Affairs, when it pre- 
sented resolutions declaring a state of war, following 
the President's message of April 2, 1917. 

(8) Documentary proof was found and published that the 
German ambassador and other official representa- 
tives in this country not only knew of such plots but 
planned and paid for them. 

(9) Participants in the plots confessed that their instruc- 
tions and pay were official. 

(10) Germany's excuse for such violations of treaties and 
friendly relations is the same as for other atrocities 
including submarine warfare : "Military necessity 
knows no law." 



[9] 



Reason No. 6 Why We Are At War 



Because the same direct attacks and threatened at- 
tacks upon our national liberties which showed us 
that we must go to war in self defense, also opened 
our eyes to reasons why we should take up the fight 
for the world's sake, for freedom's sake and for 
democracy's sake. 

(1) "To make the world safe for democracy" was the 
phrase used by President Wilson as our ultimate 
war aim. 

(2) At election time in 1916 and at all times previous to 
1917 we had hoped against hope that Germany's vio- 
lations of our neutrality and of civilization's codes 
for peace and for war were unintentional accompani- 
ments of war which we abhorred. 

(3) When convinced by stern facts and frank avowals 
that Germany considered these acts justi- 

^fiable we saw that freedom anywhere and 
'everywhere was menaced and that the 
war must henceforth be our war until 
democracy should triumph over autoc- 
racy. 




(c) Cassel in New York Evening World 



[10] 



Reason No. 7 Why We Are At War 

Because atrocities which civilized nations thought 
had been forgotten, were not only committed by Ger- 
many and her allies against soldiers and aged men, 
defenseless women and children, but were defended 
on the ground of alleged "military necessity." 

(1) So dreadful, brutal and inhuman were many of these 
atrocities that even with proof of them before her 
eyes civilization protested that they could not be. 

(2) The Turks apparently set out to annihilate the Ar- 
menian race. 

(3) The only difference between our attitude toward such 
atrocities before April 6, 1917, and our attitude after 
April 6, 1917, was that the helpless horror which our 
people felt prior to our entering the war was trans- 
formed into a determination to stop such horror by 
doing our utmost with our men and our money. 

(4) Detailed proofs of unspeakable atrocities as given in 
the official German White Book and elsewhere are 
summarized in German War Practices (91 pages), 
issued by The Committee on Public Information, 
Washington, D. C. 

(5) The greatest atrocity of all was the planning and 
starting this world war. 



[11] 



Reasons Nos. 8 and 9 Why We Are At War 



Because Germany denied the world's right to live in 
peace and freedom on other terms than those imposed 
by her military powers. 

(1) How far Germany's belief had gone that might makes 
right and that the kind of might which should dom- 
inate the world was the German or pan-German kind 
is shown in greater detail in Part V on WORLD 
WAR FACTS. 

(2) The theory that necessity knows no law would, in 
later years if successful in this war justify the tear- 
ing up of other solemn agreements, the destruction 
of other small and large nations, and attacks and at- 
tempted encroachment upon other peoples' peace and 
independence. 



Because Germany's success in this war would mean 
that all nations including our own would live in con- 
stant fear of new aggression, whereas the world needs 
universal disarmament. 

(1) Germany's own ambassador to England in 1914, 
Prince Lichnowsky, stated this reason for us: 

Is it not intelligible that our enemies declare that they will not 
rest until a system is destroyed which constitutes a permanent threat- 
ening of our neighbors? Must they not otherwise fear that in a few 
years they will again have to take up arms and again see their 
provinces overrun and their town and villages destroyed? 

[12] 



Reason No. 10 Why We Are At War 

Because a passion for freedom for all nations had 
taken possession of our people like unto the inspira- 
tion of two other epochs of our history when we 
fought for our own freedom in our Revolutionary 
War and later worked for the rehabilitation of an in- 
dependent Cuba. 

(1) We came to feel for Serbia, Belgium and Russia as 
Lafayette of France, and Kosciusko the Pole felt for 
the struggling American colonies in our Revolution- 
ary War. 

(2) Our own prosperity and freedom came to taste bit- 
ter so long as freedom was fighting a life and death 
battle in European trenches. 

(3) Once having been led by our convictions to enter the 
fight with all our vast resources, we were roused by 
our newly assumed world obligation to new visions 
of a patriotism which is all the more inspiring be- 
cause we were fighting not only for our own freedom 
but for world freedom. 




(c) Hal CofFman in 
New York Journal 



[13] 



Part II 
OUR PEACE AIMS 

Our chief aim is to prove once for all and forever 
that no nation can gain either territory or riches or 
glory by disturbing the world's peace. 

There have been two different formal statements of our 
war aims by President Wilson : One listed 14 different aims, 
another listed 4 different principles within which the 14 dif- 
ferent specified demands logically fall. 

Statesmen speaking for Great Britain and France have de- 
clared that President Wilson correctly stated the aims of the 
Allies. 

Speaking for Germany and Austria, statesmen of the Cen- 
tral Powers have concurred in several of the fundamental 
principles laid down by President Wilson but have disagreed 
with respect to certain specified demands. 

It is suggested that at this point in teaching minimum es- 
sential war facts it will not be advisable to stop and discuss 
in detail our war aims, even the four principles set up by 
President Wilson. The main fact is that the war has gone 
on in spite of the discussion of those principles and that every 
week of war has added to the Allies' conviction that there can 
be no lasting peace until after the German people have been 
convinced by physical defeat that wars of conquest and dom- 
ination cannot succeed. 

Later in the chapter on AFTER-THE-WAR NEEDS, after 
pupils and students have clearly and ineradically fixed in their 
minds the essential facts about war issues, war steps, war 
needs and war dangers they will be prepared for a brief sum- 
mary of our war aims. 

This summary which should be given at the time you are 
ready to present it to your classes will consist of the principles 
already laid down by President Wilson and endorsed by 
French and British statesmen, plus such modifications as the 
next few weeks may bring. See Part VII. 
[14] 



Part III 

HOME'TOWN WAR FACTS 

I. The military service age is over 21 and not 
yet 31. 

(1) The age used is that on June 5, 1917; those who have 
reached 21 since then will be drafted early in 1918 
if a bill introduced in April, 1918, is passed. 

(2) All men over 21 and not yet 31 no matter what their 
health or their business, were drafted for military 
service. 

(3) Because there were more men of military service age 
than were needed or could at once be used for ser- 
vice, only those were called to service or selected, 
who could be used at once. 

(4) Drafting all men of military age and selecting them 
as needed, is called the "selective draft," and was 
considered fairer than taking only all of one age or 
only men who volunteered. 

(5) The selecting was at Washington, by lot, and care- 
fully guarded so that favoritism would be impossible. 

(6) All names of men drafted, that is all men of military 
age, were drawn and given a number which indicated 
the order in which they would be examined for fit- 
ness and selected or excused, e. g., exempted. 



[15] 



Home-Town War Fact No. 2 



2. Three general reasons for being excused or ex- 
empted from military service are recognized, one 
physical, one financial, one industrial. 

(1) Physical weakness, ill health, or other disability. 

(2) Being necessary to the support of children or parents. 

(3) Being in some industry or government service which 
is necessary to our war work and in which the se- 
lected man can do more for his country than by go- 
ing into military service. 

(4) Ministers and divinity students are exempted. (A 
pending law would make divinity students eligible.) 

(5) ''Conscientious objectors" are excused, if members 
of any well recognized organization on May 18, 1917, 
whose creed forbids its members to participate in 
war, or whose convictions are against war. 



NOTE TO TEACHER AND READER. 

From here on, home town war facts call for fill- 
ing in by teacher or student. While of course not 
indispensable these home facts might better be 
learned precisely. In every locality some person 
known to the teacher will gladly help school or col- 
lege fill in the blanks and bring facts up to date 
periodically. 



[16] 







^ism^ 










By permission of San Francisco Chronicle 

Three soldiers of the home trenches 



[17] 



Hame-Town War Fact No, 3 



3. For deciding who is exempt and who must 
serve, Local Exemption Boards were established each 
having 3 men. 

(1) These Local Exemption Boards were appointed by 
state governors, one for every 30,000 inhabitants. 

(2) Yours sits at ; its members 



are 



(3) If your Local Board decides that a man ought to be 
exempted that case is settled; only evidence of 
fraud or of serious blunder will re-open the case. 

(4) Because unfairness in exempting would clearly be un- 
patriotic and unjust, very few attempts to persuade 
boards to disregard evidence of fitness and to grant 
undeserved exemptions have been found, and they 
have been severely dealt with. 

(5) If your Local Board refuses to exempt where request 
is made, your District Appeal Board of . . . mem- 
bers that sits at may be 

appealed to and may grant exemption. 

(6) In very few cases relatively have District Appeal 
Boards reversed the decisions of Local Boards. 

(7) Most of the work of the District Appeal Boards has 
been the settling of problems which the Local Boards 
were not sure they understood. 



[181 



Home-Town War Fact No, 4 



4. In your home town there were men of 

draft age June 5, 19 17. 

(1) have enlisted voluntarily. 

(2) have already been called. 

(3) have thus far been exempted. 

(4) remain subject to future selection or call. 

(5) have already gone to Europe or to sea. 

(6) all told are in the army. 

(7) all told are in the navy. 

(8) are assigned to non-military duty. 

(9) are officers. 



[19] 



Home-Town War Fact No. S 



5. Where men have been rejected because of phys- 
ical unfitness they are temporarily excused, not per- 
manently exempted. 

(1) Some are put in training and brought up to physical 
fitness. 

(2) Others are given non-military duties like clerking, 
investigating, purchasing, etc. 

(3) A plan is projected for insuring attention, training, 
corrective exercises, surgical operations, etc., which 
will restore to service-fitness 90% of the drafted men 
who are unable to pass the physical tests. 

(4) By this method in England only 4% of all men ex- 
amined are finally rejected. 

(5) Many disabilities such as those of defective teeth, 
eye trouble, abdominal trouble can be cured in a few 
days or a few weeks. 

(6) Of such improvement of those physically below par 
the New York World has said: "If the regenerative 
power of good food, air and exercise is made fully 
available to many thousands of men in the second 
rank of physical fitness, the nation will gain an incre- 
ment of strength and self-confidence that will be 
some compensation for the cruel losses of battle." 



[20] 



IS THIS HY^WIN BROTHEl^: 
WHO BECAME A 501 Die R, ?^ 
I CAN'T BELIEVB IT, fOf^ WE 
WERE EXACTLY AllKE.. We 
COUIO NOT BB tOLO APART! « 



yt&,. I'M YOUR TWIN BROTHER^ 
WHO d£CAMe A SOUDlER !^ 
YOy Wia HAVE TQf" JOIM THE 
ARMY «f V{6 ARE EVER to 
jOOK. 6XA|CtV AUKg AGAIN f. 




(c) By permission of New York Journal 

A war lesson for industrial hygiene 



[21] 



Home-Town War Fact No. 6 



6. In addition to furnishing its share of men your 
town was asked to raise its share of money for pur- 
chasing liberty bonds, for purchasing war saving 
stamps, and for supporting the Red Cross. 

Fill in the following blanks, the first with what your town 
was asked to raise and the second with what your 
town did raise. 
Allotted 

(1) $ asked for first liberty bond — loaned $ 

(2) $ asked for second " " —loaned $ 

(3) $ asked for third " " —loaned $ 

(4) $ asked for war saving stamps — loaned $ 

(5) $ asked for Red Cross — given $ 

(6) memberships asked for Red Cross 

gained . 

(7) The annual cost of operating your home town is [in 
nearest thousands omitting hundreds, tens, dollars 

and cents] $ which is $ 

more or $ less than the first war year's 

bond purchases and $ , more or 

$ less than its total spent for all war 

purposes, liberty bonds, war saving stamps, and Red 
Cross. 

(8) In addition to these voluntary loans and gifts the 
citizens of your home town will pay on last year's 
incomes a national income tax estimated [by some 
banker or editor] at $ 

[22j 







V 



im*':- 




^ 

^ 

I^-^ 



^s 



V 



/y^t:i,^^7^'k*^*:^ 



(c) By permission of Brooklyn Eagle 

Did you help build the fort ? 



[23] 



Home-Town War Fact No. 7 



7. As their share in helping the nation understand 
and conduct the war your home towil schools have 
carried on three kinds of war activity: things to learn, 
things to make and things to do. 

(1) Pupils have been asked to learn [write list below] 



(2) Pupils have been asked to make [write list below] 



(3) Pupils have been asked to do [write list below] 



[24] 



HomC'Town War Facts Nos. 8, 9, 10 



8. By observing wheatless and meatless days your 

home town has saved about loaves of 

bread and pounds of meat for our 

soldiers and our Allies. 

(1) This means bread enough for one child of your own 

age in an allied country days and 

meals or for 1000 children days and 

meals. 

(2) This means meat enough for one child of your own 

age in an allied country days and 

meals or for 1000 children days and 

meals. 

g. To save coal your home town stopped its fac- 
tories and business buildings, theatres, etc., 

days. 

(1) You thus saved about tons of coal. 

(2) Your school tagged shovels of coal. 

10. To increase the production of food your home 

town planned as war service more home 

gardens in 1917 than in 191 6. 

(1) The total number of home gardens was 

(2) The total acreage was about 

(3) The total value of the garden produce thus saved 
was estimated at $ 

(4) Enough produce was raised for meals for 

100 soldiers. 

(5) Of this total it is estimated that school children pro- 
duced $ or %. 

(6) Persons responsible for the success of home gardens 
in 1917 numbered 

(7) For 1918 extra war gardens are planned 

with about acres in all and about 

home gardeners. 

[25] 



Home-Town War Fact No. 11 



II. The Red Cross in your home town has 

members with headquarters at No 

St. or Ave., or at 



(1) The president is 

(2) Its members now are .... % of the population. 

(3) Its Junior Red Cross membership is 

(4) It raised $ for Red Cross war work. 

(5) It received from the National Red Cross for home 
town war work $ 

(6) It has different kinds of activities in which 

different people are taking active part. 

(7) Its report for the first war year shows that 

persons participated in active work and total articles 
were given or made as here summarized for each ac- 
tivity : 



[26] 



Home-Town War Fact No, 12 



12. Publicity of war facts has been partly through 
school instruction, partly through public meetings, 
partly through magazine news and editorials, partly 
through government bulletins sent to your home 
town, and partly through word of mouth. 

(1) The schools in your town have taught war facts in 
assemblies and classes as follows : 



(2) The principal meetings about war facts have been 
these : 



(3) Papers and magazines which circulate chiefly in your 
town are these: 



[27] 



Home-Town War Fact No. 12 (cont.) 

(4) To make it easier to see what magazines and news- 
papers contain about war facts our libraries have 
taken these steps: 



(5) The government war bulletins chiefly used in schools 
include these : 



(6) The chief liberty bond and other bulletin board ad- 
vertisements were these : 



(7) Man to man discussion of war facts and war needs 
has especially emphasized the following problems and 
incidents : 



[28] 



Part IV 

HOME STATE WAR FACTS 

I. Toward doing the work of this war the governor 
and legislators of your home state promptly and 
without reservation pledged their hearty support and 
that of your home state to the central national gov- 
ernment at Washington. 



2. To help home towns cooperate with one another 
so as to get the best results from each town's efforts, 
your home state has central offices and committees 
for each section of war work. 

(1) The chief state appointed agencies for war service are 

(a) State war council. 

(b) State council of defense. 

(c) State health board or executive. 

(d) State school board or executive. 

(e) State citizens' committee. 

(2) Two nationally appointed state agencies are 

(a) State food administrator. 

(b) State fuel administrator. 

(3) *Tn unity there is strength" is the reason why there 
are state committees to unify the work and knowl- 
edge of local committees. 

[29] 



Home-State War Facts Nos. 1 and 2 (cont.) 

(4) There is the same reason for state centers of in- 
formation, advice and decision that there is for the 
telephone central, namely, it makes it possible for a 
great many people or localities to use the same 
facilities. 

(5) The same information or criticism or suggestion or 
request can, when properly used in a state central 
office, answer questions or meet difficulties for 5 or 
500 different home towns. 

(6) The way the switchman can keep a dozen trains from 
running into one another by sending each on its own 
terminal track or side track, shows in another way 
how state headquarters can keep many kinds of war 
work helping one another and can prevent them 
from running into and obstructing one another. 

(7) Wherever a great many people or a great many 
localities try to do the same kind of work without 
establishing some central clearing house or train 
despatcher or telephone central they waste a great 
deal of money, time, energy and opportunity. 

(8) Because national government is a union of states and 
not merely a combination of individuals within 
states it is advisable for legal reasons as well as for 
reasons of convenience and despatch that the govern- 
ment at Washington deal with individuals and home 
towns by way of their state governments. 

(9) State governments have nothing to do with making 
war or deciding how many men or how much money 
shall be contributed toward war. 

[30] 



Home-State War Fact No. 3 



3. Like every other state your home state has its 
war council appointed by the governor to help in 
dealing with your state's war problems and war 
needs. 

(1) Your council consists of men and women. 

(2) For its work $ has been voted thus far 

by your legislature. 

(3) It has different committees as follows: 



(4) Its principal services to date have been as follows : 



[31] 



Home-State War Fact No. 4 



4. Your home state also has a council of defense 
appointed by the governor to help inform and to 
stimulate public interest. 

(1) Your state council of defense has members al- 
ready. 

(2) It aims to have at least one local representative in 
every home town. 

(3) Your home town membership is 



(4) The principal work of your home state's council of 
defense thus far has been: 



[321 



Home-State War Fact No. 5 



5. Your home state legislature serves chiefly in two 
ways: by passing laws to protect workers particu- 
larly children and women and soldiers against war- 
time evils and by voting funds for state war work. 

(1) War time zeal to increase production has led many- 
industries and individual employers to work their 
employees overtime. 

(2) The need for workers and the high salaries paid for 
them has encouraged many employees themselves to 
welcome overtime. 

(3) Many adults and children who in ordinary times are 
considered unfit for employment, now seek work and 
are sought by work. 

(4) Because temporarily individual employers or em- 
ployees have desired benefits from lowering the stand- 
ards of employment for women and children, many 
state legislatures have been asked to suspend state 
labor laws during the war. 

(5) Where peace time laws against working young chil- 
dren or women or others beyond their strength have 
been set aside because of war emergencies it has al- 
most always been found that not only were these 
workers injured but their families suffered as well. 

(6) Because there is an active national child labor com- 
mittee with state branches every legislature has also 
been asked not to suspend labor laws on the ground 
that this will really reduce the state's ability to do its 
share of war work. 

[331 



Home-State War Fact No. 6 



(7) In your home state the legislature has thus far made 
the following changes in its state labor laws because 
of war conditions : 

(8) You should learn whether other war emergency legis- 
lation has been passed by your home state legislature 
and what it is. 

(a) To control or abolish saloons. 

(b) To control and improve recreation in camps and 
in cities near camps. 

(c) To provide for other emergency conditions such 
as riots. 

(d) To improve school work. 

(e) To insure universal military training. 

6, The principal advances in your home state's 
health work in order to meet war conditions have 
been the following: 



[34] 



Home-State War Facts Nos. 7 and 8 



7. The principal advances in your home state's 
school work in order to meet war conditions have 
been as follows: 



8. To save food your home-state food administra- 
tor has headquarters at with 

....... .district branches. 

(1) Wheatless and meatless days are known to have been 
observed in localities of your home state. 

(2) It has been estimated that loaves of bread 

and pounds of meat were saved. 

(3) In counting food saved the right way is not to sub- 
tract this year's total consumed from last year's total 
consumed but instead to state the total quantities of 
these foods not eaten on wheatless and meatless days. 

(4) In many families the total amounts of wheat, beef 
and pork consumed during the first war year were 
greater than for the year before in spite of strictly 
observing wheatless and meatless days, because 
breadwinners who earned more and worked harder 
ate more and needed more on other days; but this 
fact only accentuates the importance of the saving. 

(5) Had there been no meatless and wheatless days 

more loaves of bread and 

more pounds of meat would have been consumed in 
your home state. 

[35] 



Home-State War Fact No. 8 (cont.) 



(6) That means that by observing the meatless and 
wheatless days your home state saved enough bread 

for meals and enough meat for 

meals for 100 Belgians or Italians or French or Brit- 
ish allies. 

(7) To increase the production of foods your home state 
food administration worked hard both for home gar- 
dens and for larger acreage to be planted in grains 
and to be used for raising pigs and cattle. 

(8) more home gardens were planted in 

your home state last year than the year before with 
about more acres of land. 

(9) It is estimated that the home garden product raised 
last year was worth $ 

(10) This year effort is being made to have 

home gardens with acres. 

(11) Last year more acres of farm land were 

planted with grain, potatoes and other foods than the 
year before. 

(12) Food supplies % greater in quantity were 

raised last year on your home state farms than the 
year before. 

(a) Of wheat more bushels were raised. 

(b) Of oats more bushels were raised. 

(c) Of corn more bushels were raised. 

(d) Of rye more bushels were raised. 

(e) Of potatoes more barrels were raised. 

(f ) Of hay more tons were raised. 

(g) Of cattle more head were raised. 

(h) Of hogs more head were raised. 

(i) Of eggs more gross were raised. 

[36] 



Home-State War Facts Nos. 9 and 10 

g. To save fuel and to distribute it where it is most 
needed your home state has a state fuel administrator 
with headquarters at 

(1) It is estimated that last winter your home-state, by 
stopping factories and other business not essential 
to home or war purposes, saved on coal-less days, not 
less than tons of coal. 

(2) Not all states were asked to stop using coal. If your 
state was exempted, state the reason why here: 



10. Your home country looks to your home state 

for . , men or % of all men selected 

for military service, and for % of all money 

to be loaned through purchasing of Liberty Bonds. 



^' SHALL W^E BE MORE 
TENDER \\nTH OTJR 
DOLLARS THAN WITH 
THE LIVES OF OUR 

if If SECRETARY OF THE T«tASU«V 



[37] 



Part V 

HOME COUNTRY WAR FACTS 

I. Unlike most of the European nations which 
have taken part in this war our country had to start 
to prepare for fighting after she decided to fight. 

(1) While Great Britain was prepared to fight with her 
navy, she had to prepare her army after she decided 
to fight, August 4, 1917. 

(2) We had on April 6, 1917, in our army and navy 
about 320,000 soldiers, sailors and officers. 

(3) We knew we must arm and train several millions. 

(4) In addition to securing the fighting men we must 
secure (a) the other army of men behind the fighting 
men, the camp builders, the 
engineers, the cooks, and the! 
doctors and (b) the food and 
supplies and equipment oi\ 
both these armies. 

(5) Never in the history of the 
world did a nation undertake 

so big a task with so little ad- I^!L^2fi^/ jr^ 

vance preparation. ^^ ^--^^^^^^^/'^^^ 



Chapin, in St. Louis Republic 




L38J 



Home Country War Fact No. 2 



2. War found our country unprepared for war be-r 
cause we had mistakenly believed preparedness un- 
necessary and undesirable. 

(1) With oceans separating us from the rest of the world 
and with Canada our principal home neighbor, our 
people have for generations believed that we were 
safe from foreign attack and entanglement. 

(2) The world had seemingly recognized the Monroe 
Doctrine so that armaments were not thought neces- 
sary to protect Latin America from aggression by 
foreign powers. 

(3) We had only peaceful, friendly feeling for the rest 
of the world, and took it for granted that other na- 
tions had only friendly, peaceful feelings toward us. 

(4) For any foreign difficulties that our people thought 
reasonably possible, we had a creditable though small 
navy to protect our shores. 

(5) It seemed inconceivable to us that we should ever 
want to send an army across the ocean or that foreign 
powers would wish to incur the expense and risk of 
sending an army here. 

(6) Ever since Washington's time we had cherished the 
tradition that we should keep away from and out of 
European or other foreign quarrels. 

(7) We had congratulated ourselves repeatedly that we 
were not compelled to share the tremendous war bur- 
dens from which European nations seemed to be suf- 
fering. 

[39] 



Home Country War Fact No, 3 



3. During our first war year we spent nearly ten 
billion dollars, of which $4,500,000,000 was loaned to 
our allies and four and a half billion was spent in 
equipping an army of over one million men, building 
ships, manufacturing munitions, making airships, 
paying for transportation, protecting health, etc. 
Typical first year results follow in nearest hundreds: 

(1) Over 500,000 men have been sent to France. 

(2) The number of army officers increased from 9,500 to 
123,800. 

(3) The number of enlisted men increased from 202,500 
to 1,528,900. 

(4) The number of naval officers, all branches, increased 
from 4,800 to 21,000. 

(5) The number of enlisted men in the navy, all branches, 
increased from 102,500 to 332,100. 

(6) General Pershing's first contingent of troops landed 
in France eighty-eight days after the declaration of 
war. 

(7) Within two weeks of April 6, 1917, contracts had been 
let for supplying an army of 1,000,000 men with ma- 
terials totaling 8,700,000 items. 

(8) Within three weeks after the enactment of the Selec- 
tive Draft law our entire male population within draft 
age — about 10,000,000 men — registered before some 
4,000 boards. 

[40] 



$7.00 ^^ I 




(c) By permission of Philadelphia North American 



A 3,000 mile long range gun 



[41] 



Home Country War Fact No, 3 (cont.) 

(9) In the ordnance department, which supplies ammu- 
nition and weapons, the total number of officers and 
employees jumped from 259 to 13,900; the war ord- 
nance expenditure jumped from about $13,000,000 a 
year to that much a day! 

(10) For naval ordnance the annual peace time expendi- 
ture of $30,000,000, increased to $600,000,000. 

(11) Already motor trucks are being manufactured at the 
rate of 1,150 per month. 

(12) $640,000,000 was voted for aircraft construction and 
training of aviators. 

(13) Money for building a thousand war ships was voted. 

(14) 109 interned German ships, whose crews thought 
they had damaged them beyond repair, have all been 
repaired and are in service, — the larger ones as trans- 
ports, and others as supply vessels. 

(15) $100,000,000 has been spent in building large docks 
and training men for the navy. 

(16) Our wireless service is now the most extensive in the 
world. 



[42] 



Home Country War Fact No. 4 



4. To prevent waste, to keep down prices, and to be 
sure that our Allies and our own people were supplied 
with bread, the government has controlled the sale 
of wheat. 

(1) After study by a special commission $2.20 was rec- 
ommended by the President ''to be a fair price to be 
paid in government purchases" for wheat in Chicago; 
points farther from wheat lands pay $2.20 plus addi- 
tional transportation costs; points nearer pay $2.20 
less the difference in transportation cost. 

(2) The millers of the country (3,184 mills) recognizing 
this as a fair basic price voluntarily agreed to pay no 
more, e. g., voluntarily agreed not to force up the 
price for our public and our Allies by competition. 

(3) The U. S. Grain Corporation was organized by the 
U. S. Food Administration with headquarters in New 
York City and branches in other principal cities to 
learn daily where wheat is in elevators or being 
transported, and to make purchases or sales. 

(4) The only wheat regarding which daily reports are 
not secured is that still retained by farmers. 

(5) Daily and weekly reports are voluntarily furnished by 
millers telling how much wheat has been made into 
flour and to whom flour has been shipped after re- 
serving half of all flour for the government and the 
Allies who purchase all grains and flour only from 
our Grain Corporation. 

(6) The Grain Corporation has a single head for execu- 
tion, but all policies are determined by a committee 
of 17 former grain handlers who gave up all connec- 
tion with private grain business and now manage the 
14 offices of the government's grain business. 

(7) If there had not been a price fixed for wheat and if 
the wheat supply had not been controlled by the gov- 
ernment, it is estimated that it would have been 
necessary this last winter to pay 25c. a pound for 
bread. 

[43] 



Home Country War Fact No. S 



5. To save food and to prevent food prices from 
soaring to unreasonable heights, the U. S. Food Ad- 
ministration was organized. 

(1) It has a single head. 

(2) It has no legal power either to fix prices or to forbid 
the use of meat or wheat on certain days. 

(3) Nevertheless its effect has been to stabilize the prices 
of certain essential foods and to secure nation wide 
wheatless and meatless days. 

(4) If during this last "crop year," i. e., July, 1917 to 
July, 1918, our pre-war rate of consumption had con- 
tinued, we would have had a surplus of only 10,000,- 
000 bushels of wheat. Thanks to voluntary absten- 
tion and government purchases, in nine months, up 
to April 1, 1918, we sent 78,000,000 bushels of our 
wheat to the Allies. 

(5) It is expected that between April and July this total 
sent to the Allies will reach 120,000,000 bushels or 
twelve times the normal surplus at our pre-war rate 
of consumption. 

(6) Moreover, besides sending 1,533,000,000 pounds of 
beef and beef products and 6,742,000,000 pounds of 
pork and pork products to the United Kingdom, 
France, and Italy between July, 1914, and March, 
1918, we have been increasing our farm animals: on 
Jan. 1, 1918, we had 7,856,000 more farm animals than 
on Jan. 1, 1917; 390,000 more cows, 1,857,000 more 
other cattle, 1,284,000 more sheep, 3,871,000 more 
swine ! 

(7) Food dealers have co-operated in keeping prices far 
below what they would be if competition were un- 
restricted. 

(8) It is democratic, popular, open-eyed co-operation, 
not autocratic official regulation, which has limited 
prices and effected huge savings. 



[44] 



Home Country War Fact No, 5 (cont.) 



(10) Federal and local investigators have found proof of 
shocking and unpatriotic waste in garbage cans. 

(11) Restaurants and retail and wholesale food dealers 
have been compelled to stop their business entirely 
or for three days or three months as a penalty for 
profiteering in food prices or for not obeying rules. 

(12) In March, '18, our Food Administration shipped to 
the Allies about 15,500,000 bushels of wheat and its 
products; about 16,200,000 bushels of other grains 
and their products; about 80,000,000 pounds of beef 
products, and about 200,000,000 pounds of pork 
products. 




(c) By permission of New York Evening Mail 

[45] 



Home Country War Fact No, 6 



6. To make sure that neither the Allies nor any 
part of our country should suffer for want of coal or 
because of too high prices, the U. S. Fuel Administra- 
tion was created. 

(1) The Fuel Administration has a single head to make 
final decisions. 

(2) The price of coal at the mines was fixed. 

(3) The fuel administrator at Washington and his dif- 
ferent state representatives decided where coal should 
be sent; for example, they diverted coal originally 
bought for New York to New England states. 

(4) "Tag days" were organized in public schools to in- 
terest coal users in using as little coal as possible. 

(5) State Fuel Administrators put signs in hotels, such 
as, "Don't try to heat all outdoors," "Don't waste 
hot water," "Turn off the lights and save coal." 

(6) If there had not been a price fixed for coal, if there 
had not been coal-less days and if the coal supply 
had not been controlled by the government, it is es- 
timated that it would have been necessary to pay 
three or four times as much for coal last winter and 
many sections of the country, and the poor every- 
where would have gone without. 

(7) By "saving daylight," e. g., by turning the clock 
ahead one hour it is estimated that our country will 
save 1,000,000 tons of coal from April to October. 



[46] 



Home Country War Fact No. 7 



7. To prevent circulation of information which 
would aid the enemy a national censorship was es- 
tablished; and to further the understanding of war 
needs and war dangers by our own people, the U. S. 
Committee of Public Information was created with 
headquarters at Washington. 

(1) All news about the war is subject to censorship; if 
disapproved, the agency whether newspaper, maga- 
zine or book publisher may be refused the use of the 
public mails or may be entirely suspended during 
the war. 

(2) All cable, or telegraphic news coming into this coun- 
try from war countries or going out from this coun- 
try to foreign countries must have the approval of the 
censor before it is issued. 

(3) The same applies to all wireless communications. 

(4) Since the beginning of the war only government con- 
trolled wireless stations have been permitted ; and all 
wireless stations that have escaped this control, have, 
wherever discovered, been dismantled and made in- 
capable of transmitting messages. 

(5) Many free bulletins have been issued by the Commit- 
tee on Public Information to summarize important 
information which it was thought the public or school 
children ought to know. 



[47] 



Home Country War Fact No. 8 



8. To get the utmost war service from our trans- 
portation facilities, the government took over all the 
principal railroads, many smaller railroads, several 
local electric railroads and most of our shipping. 

(1) The Secretary of the Treasury was made Director 
General of the railroads; like the Grain Corporation, 
the Food Administration, and the Fuel Administra- 
tion, this central control of railroads has a single 
head for decisions and direction. 

(2) Through the period of the war and 21 months there- 
after, the country's railroads will be managed as 
one system all of whose parts cooperate with one an- 
other, instead of as a hundred systems competing 
with one another. 

(3) By this method cars are used for war purposes first, 
including the shipment of troops, supplies and am- 
munitions for troops and then for products essen- 
tial for war industries. 

(4) Numerous wasteful and non-essential practices have 
been stopped: for example, one woman was refused 
permission to have a private car carry her for a visit 
to her husband even though she paid the government 
as much as a carload of passengers would pay; un- 
necessary advertising and agents for ''drumming up" 
business are abolished ; time tables are to be econom- 
ically printed and distributed, etc. 

(5) Competent railroad officers and employees were re- 
tained. 

(6) Railroad employees' wages were raised $350,000,000 
a year because of the increased cost of living. 



r48] 



Home Country War Fact No. 9 



9. That the pubUc schools can do nothing more 
helpful to the country in this crisis than to do their 
school work well has been asserted by cabinet officers 
and the president. 

(1) High school boys are urged to remain in school until 
graduation so as to secure the fullest possible prep- 
aration. 

(2) Schools are urged not to shorten their terms unless 
they can do so without decreasing the amount of 
work done, as, for example, by holding school Sat- 
urday forenoons. 

(3) The part which schools have taken in war activities — 
teaching patriotism and war facts, selling war bonds 
and war thrift stamps, tagging coal shovels, increas- 
ing and saving food supplies, making badges — has 
strengthened the educational work of schools. 

(4) "We can not hope to have 'school as usual' any more than 
we can expect to have 'business as usual.' . . What has 
happened during the last four years is of greater importance 
than all that happened in any century preceding. . . Edu- 
cation is preparation for life, and we get that preparation 
largely through sharing in present-day activities. Never 
was there such opportunity to teach history, civics, and 
economics in a way that will appeal . . and show our 
young people how to serve." California state education de- 
parimenV s bulletin. 



[49] 



Home Country War Fact No, 10 



10. "Many heads for counsel and single heads for 
decision and action" has been the lesson learned by 
trying to do the colossal amount of new work under- 
taken during the first war year. 

(1) Haste makes waste in war preparation, in war pur- 
chases, and in war manufactures as it does in peace 
performances. 

(2) After much experimenting it became clear that there 
was much loss of time and waste of money in having 
several different individuals or several different com- 
mittees responsible for action. 

(3) Because single heads mean that responsibility and 
power are definitely located, the tendency has been 
to put single heads in charge of important war ser- 
vices, — Fuel Administrator, Food Administrator, 
Grain Corporation's president. Director General of 
Railroads, purchase of materials for the war depart- 
ment, manufacture of aircraft and of emergency fleet, 
etc. 

(4) Mistakes have been made and costly mistakes too, 
but thanks to the frank public discussion which 
helps officials get information about their own re- 
sults and about public opinion, our mistakes have 
been frankly studied and methods have been and are 
being adopted for avoiding similar mistakes in the 
future. 

(5) Before any pupil or student can profitably study war 
mistakes he needs to know such facts as are here 
given about the colossal task that our home country 
undertook and its colossal accomplishments under the 
great difficulties of unpreparedness. 



[50] 



Part VI 
WORLD WAR FACTS 




Eclipse of peace stni white by world war 



I. This is a world war because all but a very small 
part of the world has voluntarily or involuntarily 
taken active part in it and every part has suffered 
from it. 

(1) The only nations that have neither gone to war nor 
severed formal friendly, i. e., diplomatic, relations 
with the powers at war are the few that are shown 
in white above, taken by permission from The World 
Book, page 6154, but corrected to April 26, 1918. 

[51] 



World War Fact No. 1 (cont.) 



(2) Even the remotest parts of South America suffered 
immediately and continued to suffer because war in 
Europe cut off communication between South 
America and Europe; took away European markets; 
stopped European supplies of goods needed in South 
America; sent skyward South American prices; and 
caused many failures and panicky conditions every- 
where. 

(3) Neutral nations living near to the scene of war have 
been in constant fear that they would be drawn in, 
have suffered from swollen prices and from inter- 
rupted trade. 

(4) While it is true that some neutral nations have made 
vast sums of money by selling goods to warring na- 
tions it is also true that only a favored few — profit- 
eers — in these neutral nations have made these exces- 
sive profits and the majority of people have suffered 
for the necessities and comforts of life. 

(5) This war has proved that all parts of the world are 
so intimately connected in the mutual beneficial as- 
sociations of peace that any nation which starts a 
war brings loss, danger and suffering to all other 
nations. 

(6) The nations which since 1914 have declared war 
against one or all of the Central Powers, — Germany, 
Austria-Hungary, Turkey and Bulgaria, are the fol- 
lowing: Serbia, Russia, France, Great Britain, Bel- 
gium, Montenegro, Japan, Italy, San Marino, Portu- 
gal, Roumania, Greece, United States, Cuba, Panama, 
Siam, Liberia, China, Brazil, Guatemala, Uruguay. 

(7) Diplomatic relations had by April 30, 1918, been 
broken by the following other powers: Bolivia, Hon- 
duras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Haiti, Peru, Chile, 
Argentine. 

(8) Our country has not yet declared war against Turkey 
or Bulgaria although we are actually fighting their 
allies and their troops, for reasons not yet published. 

[52] 



World War Facts Nos. 2 and 3 



2. This world war is a struggle for supremacy be- 
tween two radically different ideas of national and 
international government, the one, government by 
might and domination, and the other, government by 
cooperation and consent of the governed. 

(1) The chief representative of government by might is 
Germany which itself is dominated by a military au- 
tocracy. 

(2) The chief representative of government by coopera- 
tion, by consent of the governed, by public discus- 
sion is the United States. 

(3) Other democratically governed nations among our 
Allies differ in degrees of popular participation in 
actual government but agree on the two principles 
that one person's vote counts for as much as any 
other person's vote and that popular vote should de- 
termine government policies and acts. 

3. So universal is the popular belief that in our day 
and age the world should be governed by cooperation 
and self-government and not by domination and auto- 
cratic government, — by the consent of the governed 
and not by force, — that not even the German govern- 
ment dared to tell its people that it was beginning a 
war of conquest. 

(1) The German government told its own people that it 
was going to war in self defense. 

(2) Austria-Hungary's government told its people that 
war was forced upon it by a conspiracy of the Slavs, 
including Russia. 

(3) Wherever lust of power or of territory has been one 
of the motives for entering this war, governments 
have camouflaged this motive under talk of self de- 
fense. 

[53] 



World War Fact No. 4 



4. Germany's contention by word and by war 
methods that international treaties and agreements 
are but *'scraps of paper" epitomizes better than any 
other one single thing the meaning o£ this war. 

(1) "Only a scrap of paper" is what the German chan- 
cellor, von Bethmann-Hollweg, called Germany's 
pledge to respect and protect the neutrality of Bel- 
gium. 

(2) The statement was made Aug. 4, 1914, to England's 
ambassador to Germany, Sir Edward Goschen, when 
he declared that England must go to war if Germany 
should send an army through Belgium to attack 
France. 

(3) It was because Belgium, Great Britain, and France 
refused to consider international treaties as scraps of 
paper to be forgotten whenever self-interest tempted 
them that little Belgium risked annihilation, that un- 
prepared France risked devastation, and that Great 
Britain refused to keep out of the war. 

(4) As "scraps of paper" Germany and her allies have 
treated innumerable agreements with other nations 
and innumerable standards of civilization. 

(5) Destroying civilians, women and children in unforti- 
fied towns; sending non-combatants to the bottom 
of the ocean by submarine ruthlessness ; giving Tur- 
key's fiendishness free rein in exterminating the Ar- 
menians; fomenting conspiracies within friendly na- 
tions and hostilities between friendly nations are all 
fruits of Germany's contention that sacred promises 
are only scraps of paper and that national ambition 
knows no law but the law of might and domination. 

[54] 



World War Fact No, 5 



5. Germany welcomed an excuse for starting this 
world war in August, 191 4, because her military 
leaders believed her so well prepared and other na- 
tions so ill prepared that in a few months the war 
would be over and Germany overwhelmingly trium- 
phant. 

(1) The German emperor promised his people that their 
army's next Christmas dinner would be eaten in Paris. 

(2) Had things gone according to Germany's careful 
plans, Paris would have been taken and within three 
weeks. 

(3) Had it not been for Belgium's unexpected resistance 
France and England could not possibly have stopped 
the German invasion. 

(4) Proof was later reported to the Reichstag by a mem- 
ber that a war council was held in Potsdam, July 22, 
1914, at which it was decided that conditions were 
ripe for the blow which Germany had been planning 
for years. 

(5) Every day of the war has proved the unpreparedness 
of other nations and Germany's preparedness in 1914. 

(6) All of the great powers of Europe except Germany 
seem to have regarded their huge military expendi- 
tures as premiums to insure peace and to have believed 
that Europe's war power was so evenly balanced that 
only some terribly serious disagreement could possi- 
bly provoke a war between great powers. 

[55] 



World War Fact No, 6 



6. Germany was the only large European nation 
whose statesmen had a plan for national expansion 
which could not be accomplished peacefully by ser- 
vice, without aggression and a world war. 

(1) Pan-Germanism was the name given to Germany's 
far-reaching plan for gaining control of lands contain- 
ing coal, iron and copper mines, oil wells and grain 
fields, ports on the sea and dependent markets. 

(2) Pan Germanism coveted not only Central Europe, 
parts of Russia, and rich lands in Western Asia, but 
ultimately extensive parts of Africa and South Amer- 
ica. 

(3) While several Balkan states wanted to get lands 
which they had formerly held or lands inhabited by 
their race, the larger European states felt able to 
confine any conflagration that might break out in the 
Balkans to the Balkan states as was done in 1913. 

(4) While Italy for racial reasons and national pride re- 
gretted its loss of Trieste and other lands about the 
Adriatic to Austria, it had so little thought of try- 
ing to take those lands by force that it was actually 
in an alliance with Austria and with Germany. 

(5) While the French lamented and resented the loss of 
Alsace-Lorraine to the Germans in 1871 and while 
there was vague and romantic hope that some time 
these provinces would be restored, no serious minded 
person in France dreamed of disturbing the peace of 
Europe to get them back. 

(6) While Russian statesmen had for centuries longed 
for control of the Dardanelles and free and safe ac- 
cess to the ocean, no one in Russia seriously believed 
that this could be gained by attacking a great Euro- 
pean power. 



[56] 



World War Facts Nos. 7 and 8 



7. The incident which served as an excuse for 
starting this war was so small compared with the 
world consequences that it may properly be likened 
to the cow which kicked over the lamp which caused 
the fire which razed Chicago in 1871. 

(1) The heir to the throne of Austria-Hungary and his 
wife were assassinated in a city within Austria-Hun- 
gary itself June 28, 1914. 

(2) The murder took place in Sarajevo, chief city of 
Bosnia. 

(3) The people of Bosnia are Serbs and Slavs and with 
the Serbs and Slavs in Serbia had long claimed that 
Bosnia and Serbia should be combined as a Greater 
Serbia. 

(4) Austria insisted that the murder of its crown prince 
and his wife was not an ordinary crime by individ- 
uals but was a political crime by a Serbian-Slavic 
society for the purpose of arousing the Serb and 
Slavic subjects of Austria in Bosnia against Austria. 



8. For 25 days between June 28th and July 23rd, 
1 914, this murder was the subject of amicable corre- 
spondence between Austria and Serbia and of sensa- 
tional but not serious speculation by a few newspa- 
pers and diplomats. 

(1) On July 23rd, nearly one month after the murder, 
Austria sent to Serbia eleven demands with a haughty 
message requiring compliance within forty-eight 
hours. 

(2) This order was not a politely worded request, but an 
arbitrarily worded ultimatum which among nations 
means war unless the ultimatum is obeyed. 

(3) Ostensibly all that Austria wanted was the full co- 
operation of Serbia in discovering and punishing the 
persons who committed the murder. 

[571 



World War Fact No. 9 



g. Every step which any nation could take without 
debasing itself and confessing that it was no longer 
an independent nation Serbia took to comply with 
Austria's demands. 

(1) To 10 of Austria's demands, in spite of their unfair, 
overbearing tone Serbia agreed; she would investi- 
gate, she would punish the conspirators if she could 
locate them as citizens of Serbia; and would disavow 
the action of such conspirators if they proved to be 
her subjects. 

(2) Serbia refused as any nation will have to do so long 
as it calls itself an independent nation, to confess its 
inability to conduct an investigation of its own citi- 
zens and to let another nation not only investigate 
for it but be trial lawyer, trial jury and trial court. 

(3) Serbia went further and offered, as few larger nations 
would have done, to submit the one point of differ- 
ence between it and Austria to the International 
Court at the Hague or to the Great Powers. 

(4) Austria's refusal to arbitrate this demand which its 
diplomats knew perfectly well was an extraordinary 
and insulting demand is the match that exploded the 
European war of 1914. 

(5) Austria would not have dared touch this match, re- 
fuse this arbitration, or stand by its unfair proposal 
if it had not been assured of Germany's support be- 
cause, as later results proved, Austria was not pre- 
pared to wage war independently. 

(6) It is believed that German statesmen rather than 
Austrian statesmen penned the Austrian ultimatum 
to Serbia. 



[58] 



World War Facts Nos. 10 and 11 



10. Russia as a great Slavic power took the side of 
the little Slavic power Serbia and began to mobilize 
her own troops. 

(1) The rest of the story is like a moving picture : Austria 
threatened Serbia, Russia threatened Austria, Ger- 
many threatened Russia, France backed Russia, etc. 

(2) Thus in a few days between July 23rd, 1914, and 
August 4th, 1914, the great world war came to a 
head, Austria declaring war on Siberia July 28, and 
Germany attacking Belgium August 4. 



II. Every great nation directly concerned but Ger- 
many and Austria-Hungary tried to have this matter 
settled in an international court of arbitration with- 
out going to war. 

(1) Serbia proposed it formally. 

(2) Russia proposed it formally. 

(3) Great Britain proposed it formally. 

(4) France proposed it formally. 

(5) The United States tendered her services. 

(6) Other nations put out ''feelers" or informal pro- 
posals of peace and tried substituting arbitration for 
war. 

(7) When the history of this war's beginnings are writ- 
ten by posterity we shall be told whether nations 
tried for peace hard enough and publicly enough. 

[59] 



World War Fact No. 12 



12. Had Germany not attacked little Belgium 
whose neutrality it had joined other nations in guar- 
anteeing the war might have been confined to con- 
tinental Europe, at least in its early stages. 

(1) While England had a friendly understanding with 
Russia and France which was known as the Triple 
Entente she had not made any defensive alliance 
such as France and Russia had with one another. 

(2) While England's foreign minister had notified Ger- 
many, July 31, 1914, that involving France in aggres- 
sion would "draw in" England, it would have been 
vastly harder to arouse the British nations for France 
and Russia than for Belgium. 

(3) It was not until Germany invaded Belgium with 
whom she was at peace as the shortest cut to France 
against whom she had declared war that Great 
Britain declared war against Germany, August 4, 
1914. 

(4) Great Britain's entering the war threw not only her 
wealth and determination against Germany and Aus- 
tria but her navy which was twice as large as Ger- 
many's. 

(5) Great Britain's entering the war because Germany 
had violated Belgium's neutrality and her own inter- 
national promises also threw an overwhelming weight 
of right and idealism against Germany and Austria. 

(6) Germany's excuses to her own people for violating 
Belgium's neutrality and her international agreement 
were two, one false and one true. 

[60] 



World War Fact No. 12 (cont.) 



(7) The false reason was that Belgium had been secretly 
conspiring against Germany, which reason Germany 
herself later admitted was false. 

(8) The true reason was that across Belgium was the 
shortest way and the easiest because everywhere else 
except back of Belgium France was strongly forti- 
fied against Germany. 

(9) To Belgium's everlasting glory it should be remem- 
bered that Germany did not invade Belgium without 
trying to buy the right of peaceful passage with 
promises of adequate payment for any damage that 
might result. 

(10) Belgium's reason for refusing this offer was that with 
her a pledge was not a "mere scrap of paper" and 
that her honor was not for sale. 

(11) The treaty which Germany broke as a scrap of paper 
pledged Belgium to resist the violation of her neu- 
trality by any nation, and also pledged Germany, 
France and Great Britain to help her defend herself 
against any invasion. 



[61] 



World War Fact No. 13 



13. The most significant battle of this war up to 
April 15, 1918, was also one of the most significant 
battles of all history, namely the battle of the Marne, 
September 9, 1914. 

(1) It was at the Marne that Germany's triumphal inva- 
sion was checked and her armies thrown back. 

(2) Germany's well trained army had not only the ad- 
vantage of up-to-the-minute training but the other 
tremendous advantage of victory after victory with 
the confidence that goes with victory. 

(3) A final and tremendous advantage was the wide- 
spread conviction among the ill-prepared French and 
untrained English that of course the Germans must 
break through ; in fact the French government had 
removed from Paris and civilians had been instructed 
to leave Paris. 

(4) The Germans were within a day of Paris, their ad- 
vance lines being able to see the Eiffel Tower. 

(5) The ability of the French generals with all these 
odds against them to inspire their army with the 
"will to conquer" combined with the courageous co- 
operation of an inexperienced English army, ranks 
with the greatest demonstrations of history. 

(6) "My left flank has been rolled up; my right flank 
has been driven in; my center has been smashed; 
therefore I have ordered an advance along all fronts,*' 
expresses in memorable and unforgetable words the 
spirit that won the battle of the Marne. 

(7) The above quotation is not quite authoritative but is 
given because it is the one most widely circulated in 
April, 1918, when General Foch of the French army 
was made generalissimo over all Allied armies in 
France. The exact words sent to General Joffre by 
General Foch before winning the Battle of the Marne, 
appear to have been : "My left has been rolled up, my 
right has been driven in, therefore I have ordered an 
advance along my front.'* 

[62j 



World War Fact No. 14 



14. Another battle which mankind should never 
forget is the fortnight's battle or siege of Liege, Au- 
gust, 19 14. 

(1) Had the Belgians not successfully resisted Germany's 
attempt to reach France through their neutral lands, 
Germany would unquestionably, long before Christ- 
mas, have kept its boast to dine in Paris. 

(2) No one can now know what a difference in the war 
and in the world's thinking about the war it would 
have made if France had been quickly vanquished 
according to Germany's carefully laid plans, as would 
have happened if France had not possessed a spirit 
which Germany's military engineers could not math- 
ematically estimate. 

(3) Because Belgium is so small, having only 8,000,000 
people compared with Germany's 70,000,000 the 
world would not have condemned Belgium nor would 
it have been surprised had the Belgians failed to hold 
back the invading armies. 

(4) All the greater glory is it therefore that with over- 
whelming odds against them and with the certainty 
of having their entire country devastated the Bel- 
gians decided to fight to the last ditch for the position 
of neutrality which international law had guaranteed 
and the honor which they themselves had pledged. 



[63] 



World War Fact No. 15 



15. The country which thus far has changed the 
most because of the war is Russia where a revolution 
took place, deposed the czar and the autocracy and 
put control into the hands of laborers and peasants. 

(1) The revolution was bloodless, that is, was accom- 
plished without resistance by the royal family, the 
autocracy or the army. 

(2) In spite of possible danger to the Allies' cause there 
was great rejoicing throughout the world when Rus- 
sia became a democracy. 

(3) The immediate reason for the revolution was a de- 
sire on the part of the people of Russia to punish 
government and army officers who had betrayed their 
country to Germany. 

(4) When the army accepted and helped the revolution 
it was at first thought that Russia would fight harder 
than ever against the Central Powers. 

(5) It was soon discovered that the revolution had come 
too late and that Russian management had been so 
corrupt and incompetent that for some time to come 
Russia could not be a serious factor in the war. 

(6) Besides being war-tired, war-discouraged and war- 
confused Russia's peasants and laborers saw no rea- 
son for keeping up a war which had been started by 
the despotic rulers whom they had just dethroned. 

(7) Unable to read and write, the Russian masses could 
not quickly be told the truth about the many ways 
in which their new liberties were more endangered 
by giving up to Germany than by fighting her. 

[64] 



World War Fact No. IS (cont.) 



(8) No effort was spared by Germans and Austrians to 
make friends of Russian prisoners and home publics 
so that the demand for peace would be stronger than 
the demand for supporting the war. 

(9) No effective steps were taken by the Allies to have 
the Russian people understand the importance of 
continuing their fight against autocracy. 

(10) In its treaty of peace with the Central Powers in 
February, 1918, Russia was forced to consent to its 
own dismemberment, that is, to the loss of several 
states. 

(11) Russia has been in such chaos for two years that there 
is almost universal poverty, and business and farming 
have been disorganized and only halfheartedly con- 
ducted. 

(12) Russia's collapse shows that self-government calls 
for ability as well as freedom. 



[65] 



World War Fact No. 16 



1 6. Science and business have wrought marvels 
for this war, some wonderful, some diabolical: 

(1) Fighting from trenches by all parties [revived after 
\ disuse for 400 years]. 

(2) Use of submarines by Germany and Austria to de- 
stroy without warning neutrals and noncombatants. 

(3) Air raids upon unfortified cities, that is raining bombs 
from air ships upon unfortified cities by Germans and 
Austrians. (The use of airships for spying and at- 
tacking armies was demonstrated in the war between 
Italy and Turkey in 1913. Recent German announce- 

[ ments of air raids upon Paris always mention "the 

fortress Paris" because Germany's own people do 
not want the Allies to retaliate by attacking unforti- 
fied cities.) 

(4) The use of stifling gases, liquid fire and gas masks, 
first by the Germans and later by the Allies. 

(5) The use of "tanks" first by England, later by Ger- 
many. 

(6) The bombarding of Paris by guns 75 miles away. 

(7) The resort by the Germans and Austrians to barbar- 
ities long ago abandoned by civilized nations. 

(8) The extensive and costly use by the Germans of pro- 
German propaganda in enemy and neutral countries. 

(9) Trench fever and cure for it and several important 
surgical discoveries and inventions for saving, re- 
making and retraining the wounded. 

[66] 



World War Fact No. 16 (cont.) 



(10) The colossal scale of private cooperation, by women 
as well as men, with governments and armies in indus- 
try and through such agencies as the Red Cross, Na- 
tional Council of Defense, National Security League, 
religious associations, League to Enforce Peace, am- 
bulance units, and corresponding European bodies. 

(11) Insurance by governments of soldiers and their fam- 
ilies against death or disability of breadwinner soldier 
or sailor. 

(12) Attempts by governments including our own to pre- 
vent "profiteering," that is charging extortionate 
prices, by fixing prices, controlling the distribution 
and limiting the consumption of goods necessary to 
life and to war work. 

(13) Canada's voluntary enlistment of 400,000 men out 
of a population of 7,000,000, deserves, with Canada's 
other sacrifices and heroic efforts, a high place among 
this war's unforgetable demonstrations. Had the 
same proportion of our nation volunteered for mili- 
tary service we would have had an army of over 
6,000,000 men! 

...^-. .. ..^.^-.^^^^^^^^^^^^ ^^^ 




Brown, in Chicago Daily News 

[67] 



World War Fact No. 17 



17. In beginning and conducting its war against 
freedom, Germany with her allies has repeatedly vio- 
lated International law, i. e., repeatedly acted con- 
trary to many principles of Humanity and Justice 
which nations have for a long time recognized as 
mutually binding. 

(1) Buying a neutralized nation's permission to send an 
army over its land to attack a nation with which it is 
at peace, as when Germany went through Luxem- 
burg, is contrary to international law. 

(2) Entering neutralized territory (i. e., made neutral by 
international agreement), as when Germany invaded 
Belgium, is contrary to international law. 

(3) To sink neutral merchant ships tho not carrying con- 
traband of war at sea is permissible if persons on 
board are removed to safety and if owners are reim- 
bursed. 

(4) Carrying contraband of war, as many of our ships 
did, is permissible; if ships are "caught in the act," 
their contraband goods may be confiscated, but offi- 
cers and passengers may not be punished or killed. 

(5) Bombing unfortified towns and poisoning wells or 
food are contrary to international law. 

(6) Carrying civilians from their own country to an 
enemy country for forced labor is contrary to interna- 
tional law. 

(7) International law is mutual understanding, sometimes 
evidenced by written agreements, understandings and 
pledges, but generally defined only by accepted Inter- 
national practices and customs. 



[68] 



Part VII 

AFTER=THE-WAR NEEDS 

I. The great peace treaty for which the world is 
praying will try to establish international safeguards 
against the future possibility of another such war. 

(1) Carefully worded pledges of everlasting peace and 
friendship will be signed. 

(2) Freedom of speech for all nations will be pledged. 

(3) Promises not to make secret treaties will probably 
be made. 

(4) Promises to submit all differences to an international 
court or commission for arbitration will probably be 
made. 

(5) Disarmament by every nation signing the treaty will, 
it is hoped, be pledged. 

(6) An international league to enforce peace and to pre- 
vent serious disturbances of peace is being urged. 



2. The restoration of Belgium, a recognized neu- 
tral, will undoubtedly be provided for. 



3. The two most difficult questions for peace mak- 
ers are how to organize an international league to en- 
force peace, and how to readjust territorial boun- 
daries — in the Balkans, Alsace-Lorraine, Russia — so 
that race hatreds and passion for revenge shall not be 
perpetuated. 

[69] 



After-the-War Need No. 4 



4. The peace aims of our country have been stated 
by our President as four principles : 

(1) ''that each part of the final settlement must be based 
upon the essential justice of that particular case and 
upon such adjustments as are most likely to bring a 
peace that will be permanent; 

(2) "that peoples and provinces are not to be bartered 
about from sovereignty to sovereignty as if they were 
mere chattels and pawns in a game, even the great 
game, now forever discredited, of the balance of 
power; but 

(3) "that every territorial settlement involved in this 
war must be made in the interest and for the benefit 
of the populations concerned, and not as part of any 
mere adjustment or compromise of claims among 
rival states; and 

(4) "that all well defined national aspirations shall be 
accorded the utmost satisfaction that can be accorded 
them without introducing new or perpetuating old 
elements of discord and antagonism that would be 
likely in time to break the peace of Europe and con- 
sequently of the world." 



[70] 



After-the-War Need No. S 



5. Fourteen specific demands have been listed by 
our President to help the rest of the world picture 
our country's war aims: 

1 — Open covenants of peace without private international 
understandings. 

2 — Absolute freedom of the seas in peace or war except 
as they may be closed by international action. 

3 — Removal of all economic barriers and establishment of 
equality of trade conditions among nations consent- 
ing to peace and associating themselves for its main- 
tenance. 

A — Guarantees for the reduction of national armaments 
to the lowest point consistent with domestic safety. 

5 — Impartial adjustment of all colonial claims based upon 
the principle that the peoples concerned have equal 
weight with the interest of the Government. 

6 — Evacuation of all Russian territory and opportunity 
for Russia's political development. 

7 — Evacuation of Belgium without any attempt to limit 
her sovereignty. 

8— All French territory to be freed and restored, and rep- 
aration for the taking of Alsace-Lorraine. 

9 — Readjustment of Italy's frontier along clearly recog- 
nized lines of nationality. 

10 — Freest opportunity for autonomous development of the 
peoples of Austria-Hungary. 

[71] 



After-the-War Need No, 5 (continued) 

11 — Evacuation of Roumania, Serbia and Montenegro, 
with access to the sea for Serbia, and international 
guarantees of economic and political independence 
and territorial integrity of the Balkan states. 

12 — Secure sovereignty for Turkey's portion of the Otto- 
man Empire, but with other nationalities under 
Turkish rule assured security of life and opportunity 
for autonomous development, with the Dardanelles 
permanently opened to all nations. 

13 — Establishment of an independent Polish state, in- 
cluding territories inhabited by indisputably Polish 
population, with free access to the sea and political 
and economic independence and territorial integrity 
guaranteed by international covenant. 

14 — General association of nations under specific cove- 
nants for mutual guarantees of political independ- 
ence and territorial integrity to large and small states 
alike. 







(c) Kirby in New York World 

[72] 



After-the-War Needs Nos. 6, 7 and 8 



6. Physical training will, in the future, be given at- 
tention as never before. 

(1) Physical examinations of drafted men showed neglect 
of weaknesses and dangers that unfit men for peace 
industries and enjoyments as well as for w^ar. 



7. Men disabled by the war will not be treated as 
pensioners or objects of public charity but will be 
given education which will enable every one to take 
a man's place in the nation's business. 



8. Our country's great foreign problem immedi- 
ately after the war will be trying to find markets for 
our surplus goods. 

(1) We cannot longer afford to neglect Latin America. 

(2) We must study our opportunities in Russia where 
there will be unparalleled development. 

(3) Our chance of surpassing other countries will depend 
largely upon our studying how we can be of help to 
other countries by buying what they want to sell and 
what we need from them as the shortest cut to get- 
ting them to buy what we want to sell. 



[73] 



After-the-War Needs Nos. 9 and 10 



9. The world's wartime experience with limiting 
private profits from the sale of necessities will lead all 
nations, including our own, to demand a more equit- 
able distribution of the nation's necessities and op- 
portunities. 

10. Our schools will be expected to teach their 
pupils and our public how to apply war learned les- 
sons to peace conditions. 

(1) The essential facts of sex hygiene will be taught as a 
matter of course in the upper grades of the elemen- 
tary schools and high schools and with great care in 
teacher training schools. Many teachers are proving 
the practicability of such training to sexes separately 
and to individuals by physicians, nurses and pre- 
pared teachers. 

(2) "Profiteering" will be described as any action which 
sacrifices public welfare to private gain. 

(3) The service and patriotism of saving will be taught 
by precept and practice. 

(4) The simple rules of economics and political science 
will be universally taught not as they are now care- 
fully taught merely in colleges to those who elect 
them, but in all American schools. 

(5) New impetus will be given to the teaching of history 
with the hope of starting all school children with the 
essential truths about this present war. 

(6) New impetus will be given to the teaching of civics 
as the art of open-minded, open-eyed, honest citizen- 
ship. 

(7) The sacredness of all treaties and promises will be 
taught as one of the first elementary facts of patriot- 
ism and citizenship. 



[74] 



Part VIII 
PATRIOTIC INFORMATION 

FOR 

COMMENCEMENT EXERCISES 




OflFicia] poster, Third Liberty Loan, April, 1918 



Posters and cartoons can be helpfully used as illustrative material 
for exhibits, addresses, oral composition demonstrations, and 
''spelling down" tests 

[7S] 



Suggestions for Commencement Exercises 

1. War Fact Tests for Promotion and Graduation 
can be used in many ways to make commence- 
ment exercises not only patriotic, but entertain- 
ing and informing. 

2. Home pupils, home teachers, home school trus- 
tees, home business men will welcome concrete 
aids towards their commencement parts. 

3. "Community singing" that includes parents and 
other guests will be a great success if made easy. 

(i) If at first the spirit lags start with the chorus, 
perhaps letting one or a few children show 
how ''the tune" goes; as thousands of schools 
are proving, this wins the audience surely — 
everybody likes to sing his love of country. 

(2) If you cannot distribute printed or typed 
copies, show ''the chorus" on a screen, or else 
paste or print it on sheets or boards in letters 
large enough to be seen by all. 

(3) America, The Star Spangled Banner, The 
Battle Hymn of the Republic, and Columbia 
are the minimum essentials. 

(4) Use other old familiar patriotic songs. 

(5) New songs include Over There, Joan of Arc, 
Where Do We Go From Here Boys, Keep 
the Home Fires Burning, etc. 

4. Have ten reasons why we are at war stated by the 
main speaker, by one pupil, or by ten pupils — 
each taking one of the heavy black points in 
Part I. 

[76] 



Suggestions for Commencement Exercises 

Have a "spelling down'' contest to see which pu- 
pils and which guests can stand up longest. 

(i) Instead of pronouncing words as in spelling 
bees ask war questions. 

(2) Ask first for those war facts which everyone 
has had a chance to know. 

(3) The old-fashioned method of choosing sides 
will increase the number who can easily 
"play" and will entertain onlookers. 

(4) Try the graduating class "against the field," 

that is, against other classes or guests. 
Have those graduates who are to read essays or 
deliver orations choose war fact subjects; or 
choose for parts those who write the best essays 
or orations on war fact subjects like these: 
(i) What our school (our town) (our state) has 
done to help our country win the war. 

(2) The sacredness of international and business 
contracts. 

(3) The world must be safe for Democracy. 

(4) What patriotism means to Americans. 

(5) Belgian honor and bravery. 

(6) The Battle of the Marne's lessons. 

(7) The world at war; chalk talk by pupils. 

(8) Why food will win the war. 

(9) The principal inventions of this war. 

(10) One head for direction; many heads for 
counsel. 

(11) Why our country was unprepared for war. 

(12) Why our country could not stay out of war. 
For special commencement help or further sug- 
gestion address Institute for Public Service, Wm. 
H. Allen, director, 51 Chambers St., N. Y. City. 

[77] 



Suggestions for Commencement Exercises 

12 Sample Easy Questions 

for 

A "Spellings Down" Contest 

1. In what month and year did this world war start? 

2. On what date did the United States decide to fight? 

3. What years are within the draft age? 

4. What agency is charged with responsibility for prevent- 

ing waste of meat and flour? 

5. What agency is charged with responsibility for prevent- 

ing waste of coal, wood and oil? 

6. What agency is charged with responsibility for preventing 

the publication of news which would help the enemy? 

7. What agency is charged with responsibility for publish- 

ing war facts that will help our own country? 

8. Name three important inventions that have been first tried 

out in this war. 

9. How many reasons do you know for our going to war? 
Start to name them. 

10. Go on with naming reasons why we are at war. 

11. What is meant by selective draft? 

12. What reasons for exemption are recognized? 



[78] 



Helpful Questions 

and 

Suggestions 

1. Are your pupils keeping a scrap bcK)k of hero 

tales, cartoons, and home-state-country- 
world war facts? 

2. Your class will be interested in keeping new 

items under each of the foregoing main 
heads. Let them paste slips to the pages or 
write on margins so that all points about a 
fact will be in one place. 

3. Have you a class or school Question Box? 
How otherwise are you encouraging ques- 
tions about the war? 

4. Who in your class or school do not know the 

words of America or The Star Spangled 
Banner? 

5. Are you singing the new patriotic songs? 

6. What steps have you taken to locate the 
children who do not know minimum essen- 
tial war facts? What is being done in your 
community to make sure that persons not in 
school know these main war facts? 

7. Have you tried ''relay races" by having one 
pupil pick up the story where the last one 
stopped? 

8. Before you try a "spelling down" contest with 
war facts, find out by actual tests the easiest 
questions which are known to most people 
and ask those first. 

9. In composition work, oral and written, have 

main facts stated in different ways and be 
sure that your own statement of them fits 
your own pupils. 

10. Are you asking parents' help in grounding 
children in main war facts? 

[79] 



Sources of Free Aids 

to 

Teachers and Students 

1. "Too many cooks spoil the broth." Turn to 

''central" when seeking up-to-date war facts 
as you turn to central when wishing to tele- 
phone. 

2. U. S. Committee on Public Information, Wash- 

ington, D. C, will send you lists of publica- 
tions, put you on its mailing list, or answer 
special questions. 

3. U. S. Food Administration will send food 

facts from your state capital. All food pub- 
licity work is now being done through state 
branches. 

4. Your State Department of Education will wel- 

come your questions and try to answer them 
promptly. 

5. Th€ World Almanac, New York City, gives a 

chronological summary of war events and 
innumerable helpful facts. 

6. The League to Enforce Peace, 70 Fifth Ave- 

nue, N. Y. City, has important facts about 
after-the-war peace aims and related inter- 
national problems. 

7. Institute for Public Service, 51 Chambers 

Street, N. Y. City, will act promptly in an- 
swering special questions about where and 
how to get help for commencement or other 
times. 



[80] 



Five- Fold Purpose 

of 

War Fact Tests 

1. To give teachers the main high spot 
facts about the war and our country's 
part in it which every child and 
every college student ought to prove 
he knows and understands before 
graduation or promotion. 

2. To help teachers recognize that their 
greatest opportunity for patriotic 
work at this time is by way of mak- 
ing sure that their own classes know 
and understand the life struggle be- 
tween autocracy and democracy of 
which these young people are made 
an involuntary part. 

3. To help employers place condensed 
essential facts before their working 
forces. 

4. To help editors offer to their readers 
some reasonably easy tests of war 
information. 

5. To stimulate the issuance of war 
fact tests by local and state agencies 
for informing the public about war 
issues, war needs, war dangers and 
peace aims. (New York City's board 
of education is having two sets of chief 
war facts prepared, for high school and 
for grades five and six.) 



,^™«RY OF CONGRESS 




018 465 792 




